Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette Review, Swatches, Photos

Contouring and highlighting has been a big beauty trend for the last few years. Many brands have developed products to help achieve your favorite contoured face. But not all products are created equal. That’s why I was so excited to hear that Kat Von D was coming out with a universal contour palette called the Shade Light Contour Palette.

Product | “An expert sketch artist, Kat Von D uses shadow and light to create depth and dimension in her captivating portraits, infusing them with lifelike authenticity. Take artistry shading into your own hands with this Shade + Light Contour Palette, and effortlessly sculpt, chisel, shape, and slenderize your features for enhanced definition. Unlike traditional bronzing powders, the Shade + Light Contour Palette is loaded with a unique selection of matte shades that capture the true hues of shadow and light. The three contour shades create realistic shadows to recede facial features, while the three highlight shades impart a soft luminosity to amplify dimension. A true artist’s palette specially designed to be used with the Shade + Light Contour Brush, these silky, buildable powders blend effortlessly into the skin for a flawless, fade-proof finish that flatters every skin tone or face shape. ” – Sephora.com

Unfortunately this palette does not live up to what it was advertised. As shown in this review the 6 shades can not and will not flatter every skin tone.

Pigmentation | The pigmentation varied from each color but the pigmentation was still good. The cake did flake up slightly when using a fluffy brush to pick up the color but that could be said as normal when it comes to Kat Von D products.

Application | When applying the product I did notice that the Light shades did not apply evenly and were a little blotchy. I applied with no primer or base and the product did streak slightly. The Shade colors were a bit more smooth when apply and provided better coverage.

Texture | The pressed powder is definitely smooth and light to the touch. It had a great cushion feel to it and it very light on the skin. The powder felt dry but slightly creamy.

Longevity | I was only able to test on my arm since the colors do not work well on my skin tone. The shades seem to wear well and lasted for over 6 hours on my arm with no primer or base.

Quality Of Ingredients |

– No Parabens
– No Sulfates
– No Phthalates

List ingredients that are interesting or could be hazardous.

Is it Vegan?: Yes

Does this company animal test?: No

Are there any additional features that come with this product mirror, brush, sponge, anything free? There is a step-by-step instruction sheet on how to contour different size faces.

Overall |Again, I was very excited about this palette. I have been a fan of Kat Von D products since I tried the Lock-It liquid foundation. I guess you can say I expected more. The line provides foundations and powders that can be applied on darker skin but this palette was obviously not made for the same consumer base. I am smack dab in the middle of the Kat Von D Medium to Deep shades and I would not be able to use this palette on my skin. The Light shades are way to light and reflect white light so they would not work well with my yellow undertone. The Shade shades are just not dark enough to be used as a stand-alone contour on medium to dark skin. I feel this palette really miss the mark. This palette was recently released after cult favorites like the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour palette had been out for months. The target marker should have been clear. A more universal palette could have been created. Now that I have the palette, I can possibly use the shades as eyeshadows or on clients but since that is not what it is meant for, I am a little disappointed in the shade options.